The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-10-13

the SnreW was produced last season a
q leading metropolitan theatre there was
an exquisite exhibition Of good taste, es-
pecially In the arrangement Of interiors
So true historically was each scene in It,
outfit that certain critics who rashly ven
tured outside their province and assumed
to speak a. to the correctness Of the cos
TUNES and furniture were silenced by
the statement that the furniture ct leas,
was contemporary with the action Of the
play, having come from Fl0rentine
palace, whore It had been used in the
middle OF the sixteenth century; while
glish dresses and equipments for TIT
circumstance in which sundry other
thereby to prove that they supposed
English and Italian dressing and
housefurnishing to be identical three
centuries ago. Another marked I'm
provement d the introduction Of real
doors Of black walnut that open and
close - ono 10 accustomed to seeing
them instead Of shaking and "slatting"
- the slender contrivances Of pine sticks
and canvas do. Az have stated above,
al this improvement helps to save poor
dramatic productions from utter failure
and sets on the silly twaddle that has
monopolized the boards too extensively.
We are, and have been for some time,
passing through state Of nonsense and
sbsurdity, wherein clap-trap and but
foonery are the leading attractions.
Happily, however, this state Of things
cannot last. The coming season Will
witness Q revival Of the classical and
legitimate drama all over the country,
and the skill and genius Of the artist will
be called In play to "set" these elsbO-
rately and correctly.
Our friend, the scenic artist, to be sue
cesstul must not only possess the artistic
instinct and throw feeling" into his
work, but he must be . scholar, thor
oughly read In ancient and modern his
tory, familiar with architecture Of all
nations and all ages, an encyclopedia Of
armorial bearings, to Q certain degree q
chemist, with quick eye in mixing paints
and the ability to blend upon canvas by
daylight colors that under the yellow
glow Of gaslight win give . pleasing,
natural and not startling effect. He is
obliged TO read carefully the plays he is
to assist In illustrating, for oftentimes It
occurs that the author % very much
Of ses in his description of scenes.
This Il particularly true Of opera,
whore the author pays moro atten-
tion to the words and music than
TO the historical correctness Of his scenes
and incidents. The artist 10 allowed Q
slight degree Of license In the decorations
Of lnterioTs, but good Judgment must be
exercised, for too wide departure from
the style Of the times when the scens Of
the drama Or opera 10 laid would Of once
make such action liable to Just criticism.
By the license allowed we mean that II
the decoration be In the style Of Louis
XIV, for instance, II may be slightly
modernised In compliance with the de-
mand Of public taste, and also, II Il be In
the style Of the Dutch Renaissance, he
may leave out the part Of the heavy elabo.
rate representation Of carving and adopt
the rest, being careful not TO violate GER
tain arbitrary rules. This 10 where his
Judgment comes in play TO know what to
Leave out and how TO adapt Il.
The at Of scene-painting has reached
. high degree Of excellsnco IN this coun.
Try and compares favorably with that Of
any civilissd nation; bat 70 b 1ust Il
must b admitted that II nechanioal ef-
lecls " sye fas bshind ths 0ermans. A.
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